11/16 Season Four Episode Three: Unfinished Business-Scarecrow and Mrs King

What’s next? We see the vette driving down a suburban street.
Pretty tree lined street.
They pull up in front of a house Lee seems to recognise.
Standing out front, suddenly Lee realises there’s a boy up the tree out front of this house.Boy: Hey.[Seems memories are flooding back for Lee as the boy jumps down.]
(The boy magically jumps down from the tree and lands in front of him.
The boy reaches for his bike and cycles away as Lee reacts to the memories flooding back..)
[Not sure that these memories are happy ones?
Then again, maybe it’s the drug wearing off!]
(We see Amanda was hanging back by the vette.
Lee shakes his head and rubs his eyes.)
[drugs? or memories? Heck, maybe it’s both!]
(Lee watches the boy on the bike ride away..
This somehow seems significant to Lee.
Amanda calls out.)Amanda: Lee?
[But wait! I have another mystery to solve. Where have Amanda’s earrings gone?!
Okay okay.. not quite so interesting as the mysteries Lee is slowly unfolding!]

(Amanda calling out to Lee breaks whatever he was caught up in.. and he heads over to her immediately reassuring her)Lee: I’m all right. I’m all right.[Awh sweet that he immediately thinks of her and to reassure her ]
(Together they head toward the house, Amanda has her arm around Lee.
Lee and Amanda take a look at that tree before moving toward the house.
Lee seems fixated on that tree.)
[I guess this is partly about the drug still affecting him?
But! Love the white picket fence and daisies! Is this Lee’s childhood home? Love the thought that he grew up (briefly) in a suburban home with a white picket fence.. and flowers.. I wonder if this is partly why his early run ins with Amanda seemed to unsettle him so much. Subconsciously he was reminded of this stuff he is now wanting to deal with.
Okay, I think the show didn’t have this in mind at the time, but I think it works and I’ll go with it ]Amanda: What is it?Lee: It’s that tree. I, I probably spent more time in it than my room.[Nice they can share a smile here]
(Lee reaches for her arm and pats it)…But I’m OK, don’t worry.[this little gesture reminds me of their cover during sour grapes- approaching arm in arm-and he pats her hand.
Only now – it’s not a cover!!! It’s for real! Squeeee!!!HERE is that scene if you are interested.] Amanda: All right.(They walk up the front steps.. and bang on the door.)
[Lets hope there are not thought to be dead but still alive (and leaving trails!) assassins living here!]Amanda: Hello? Anybody home?(Amanda looks around the neighbourhood – is the coast clear?
Yep! Amanda indicates: all clear!
Lee unpicks the lock while Amanda acts as lookout!)[I think she could have climbed that tree and been more thorough ]
(Lee opens the door.. and calls out..)Lee: Hello?(No answer! In they go.
We see them walking down a hallway..)Amanda: Anybody home?(Lee seems to be remembering..)Amanda: Which way?
(Amanda doesn’t rush Lee.. she patiently waits.. We hear Lee’s parent’s voices..)Matt: Daddy’s home. Daddy’s home. Hey, come give your tired old dad a big hug….Jennie: ….Hurry up, Lee. You’ll be late for school….(Lee points to a side door and they head in that direction)Matt: ….We should go up to the…Jennie: ….Mrs Ward will stay with you. We won’t be gone long, I promise….Happy birthday…Come on, Lee…We’re going to walk to the store with daddy…
(Lee realises he’s made a mistake and changes direction)

Lee: No, it’s, it’s this way.Amanda: OK.
[Gosh I am struggling to get clear images here. Sorry this is the best I can do ]
(We see a door open, and Lee and Amanda descend the stairs down to the basement. As they descend we continue to hear Lee’s parents saying random things.)

Jennie: Surprise. I made you chocolate chip cookies for dessert…Give mummy a big kiss goodnight, sweetheart. Sweet dreams….Matt: …What do you think about going over to Parker’s Pet Shop and get that puppy you’ve been talking about…?Jennie: …Come here…
[I guess not so random – all give the message that Lee’s parents were good people, good parents who loved their son and were pretty normal. Funny how Jennie sounds more English in these memories than she did at the start of the episode maybe they used another actress for the voice!]

Lee: This isn’t right.Amanda: Well, are you sure this is the right house?Lee: Of course I’m sure.[lol Um there is no of course about it you are still drugged up fair question tee hee. I can understand why Lee would be feeling on edge!]Amanda: Well…(A ball drops and bounces on the floor.)
[Did Amanda knock it?]
(Lee picks it up and looks at it, it’s triggering some kind of memory.
A memory of a similar ball..
We see little Lee’s ball falling down these steps.
Mathew Stetson is at the top of the stairs.)Matt: Lee, what are you doing down there? I thought I told you it was off-limits? (Having retrieved his ball, Little Lee climbs up the stairs towards Matthew. We see Mathew looking lovingly at his son as he closes the door.) [All signs are – this was a loving family]
Jennie: Lee, where are you?…Lee, answer me. Lee…[No I was wrong, still a lousy English accent.. but don’t worry it’s just my opinion! But lol I think based on Lee’s expression above he may agree with me tee hee.. okay kidding! ]
(Lee recalls a little more…. and suddenly, we realise it’s now Amanda calling to Lee to answer her.)Amanda: Lee? Lee, answer me! Lee!
(Lee puts the ball down and turns to Amanda.)Lee: That’s it!Amanda: What?Lee: It’s here.Amanda: What?(Lee moves to a different part of the basement and Amanda follows..)Lee: I’m not looking for a locked door, it’s a trapdoor…
…And it’s right here somewhere. Here.(Lee pulls out his flip knife and starts cutting the vinyl flooring)
[lol hope they leave some money to replace it for the new owners!]Amanda: Be careful with that thing. [whooo it musnt be a bendy knife!]Lee: Here.Amanda: Shhh Be quiet.(Amanda suddenly seems concerned someone above will hear.)
[Did she hear someone arrive? because a second ago she was literally yelling at Lee to answer her!]Lee: That’s gotta be it.Amanda: You’re right.(Lee uncovers a trapdoor and opens it..)Amanda: Oohhh. Be careful.
Lee lowers himself into the space..Lee: Yeah.Amanda: Easy. Easy.Lee: Yeah.[There’s a whole other floor down there!]
(He turns on a bare light bulb and looks around him)Amanda: Can I come down?Lee: Here you are. Come on. Careful.(Lee helps Amanda down.)
[Interesting.. again, Amanda is asking permission rather than assuming it’s her right to follow him..][I’m shocked Amanda wasn’t magically wearing pants that day.. or her removable heels!]
(We see a dusty desk with a desk lamp, notebooks, a cup and saucer, and an ornament. A cardigan hangs on the back of a chair in front of the desk and cobwebs all around.)Lee: You know, they told me this place was so secret so many times that I guess I didn’t remember it. [and yet, he remembered exactly where the light bulb was to turn it!]Amanda: Will you look at this?(They look at some stuff on the desk there.. not sure what it is..)Lee: Yeah. Look Amanda, let’s get this stuff out of here before someone comes home and we have to do some fancy explaining.Amanda: Yeah. Mr Melrose’ll appreciate that.[LOL the blood vessels in his brain will appreciate it!]
(Lee picks up a file. He pauses when he noticed the pipe sitting in it’s holder.
it’s covered in cobwebs.
Amanda notices, and stays silent, watching.
Lee slowly picks up a pipe,
and very carefully puts it carefully in his jacket pocket.
He looks up and sees Amanda noticed..
Amanda stays silent.)
[but communicates plenty! She oozes empathy and comfort..]
(Lee hesitates a second)
[so sad… but it’s wonderful he can have his dad’s pipe! I think Lee seems to celebrate this] (He smiles through his half formed tears at Amanda..
She smiles right back.)
[though LOL she might be smiling because she’s managed to find her earrings down there too! kidding!!]
[I’m enjoying this rediscovery and new connection Lee has to his dad. A low key, but incredibly powerful moment. How about you?
Acting is Amazing KJ & BB! lol. Love how I write that as if they’d read it?! haaaa.. as if they’d ever stop by here! And if they did, I’d think I was being pranked!
Wow it even looks like his dad’s work at home casual cardy is still hanging on the back of the chair. Quite eerie! I think when Amanda gets home at the end of this all, she’ll pull up that vinyl in her basement and give it a thorough investigation!](Amanda hands Lee some stuff as she prepares to climb the ladder)
[LOL at how she is all ewww at all the cobwebs! ]

The scene ends there, and aside from the pipe, I’m not sure what they’ve collected some files, books or something.. I guess the cardy wasn’t worth rescuing, the moths have probably been eating it!

Okay- I shall pause at the end of this scene here.. Reeeally can’t wait to hear from ya and chat with you all about this ep so far!

69 responses to “11/16 Season Four Episode Three: Unfinished Business-Scarecrow and Mrs King”

The scenes in this post always make me a little uncomfortable when I watch them. I guess I just have to chalk it up to side effects of the drug and Amanda’s superpowers to melt Lee’s heart and get him to show emotion. But it just doesn’t feel right to me that Lee gets as sentimental as he does outside when looking at the tree and in the basement with the pipe. Part of why I feel awkward is because, to me, Amanda and Lee seem awkward when he takes the pipe and they make eye contact after he puts it in his suit jacket pocket. I guess I would just expect Lee to handle this situation a bit more logically or to be more awed or fascinated that he would find his dad’s pipe on the desk after all this time (Lee: Amanda, look! It’s my father’s pipe. I can’t believe it’s just been sitting here for 40 years. Amanda: You should take it as a keepsake. That’s really wonderful, Lee. Lee: Yeah, this is amazing.) rather than whatever emotion he is experiencing. Maybe I see sadness here that I wouldn’t expect Lee to see? Maybe this is where Amanda’s superpowers come in – he is comfortable acting like a little boy here because of the drug and that he’s hearing his parents’ voices, and he’s in his childhood home? Or maybe I’m just governed too much by thoughts and logic myself rather than emotion and am just uncomfortable witnessing these exchanges because I want my superhunky superspy Scarecrow to always keep his cool?

I love your funny commentary on these scenes, iwsod, especially the part about Amanda’s earrings! You had me lol’ing. It’s hard to ignore the plot holes, but we’ve made it this far into the series, so I guess a few more won’t matter. I just want to know what happens when the homeowners realize at some point that there was an intruder who cut a hole in their basement vinyl floor, they discover the secret room, call the cops, the cops dust for prints, and they come up empty? Are Lee’s prints in the system? I could see his being classified and so the cops don’t get a hit. But what about Amanda’s? Surely hers would come up? Or maybe her prints are not on file? I think they are in Germany (tee hee). I just don’t see how this little adventure doesn’t come back to Billy at some point. I guess it will happen so far into the future that Billy won’t be so steamed about it.

Are Lee’s prints in the system? I could see his being classified and so the cops don’t get a hit.

Yeah, Lee’s finger prints (and everything else about him as dental impressions) should be highly classified. So, those poor cops investigating that housebreaking will come up totally empty…

But what about Amanda’s? Surely hers would come up? Or maybe her prints are not on file? I think they are in Germany (tee hee).

I surely hope her’s are as classified as Lee’s… Otherwise it could become awkward for her… I don’t think, the lokal cops would ask for her finger prints in Germany… though the outcome of it could be hilarious… 😉

Oh My Gosh, you’re right, Cindy. I never thought of that one… Oh oh…
Hopefully that owner(s) of Lee’s childhood home doesn’t/don’t come down to the basement too often so the damage to the vinyl wouldn’t be discovered that fast…

In this episode, it was Amanda who drove Lee in his Corvette to his childhood home because that drug was still in his system. It got me to wondering … when did Amanda learn to drive stick shift and who taught her? Does anyone recall it happening on screen?

IIRC, Season 3’s One Bear Dances was the first time we see Amanda drive stick shift. That’s when Lee hands her the keys to his Corvette to tail Dotty & Zernov. It was quite clear, watching S1’s Filming Raul and S2’s Car Wars, that Amanda didn’t drive stick shift then.

So, was it Lee who taught her at some point? After the hilarious episode with “Demolition Dotty” taking driving lessons, I wish we had front row seats watching Lee teach Amanda. Oh my gosh! Now I’m feeling … belatedly cheated!

Amanda didn’t learn to drive stick shift at all. The ‘vette is an automatic. You can see it in ‘Triumvirate’ – when Lee starts to back out of his parking space in front of that hotel/safe house. When Lee puts the ‘vette into reverse it’s stop lights light up for just a very short moment. That’s customary for an automatic car.

SO SORRY to disappoint you in your feeling… belatedly cheated, Nancy.
Although it could have been a lot of fun watching Lee teaching Amanda – even hillarious… 😉
But I guess he didn’t want to torture his precious silver darling…
Very thoughtful of Lee to buy the ‘vette as an automatic back in S1/S2 wasn’t it? Given his experience in her stick shift driving skills back in ‘Filming Raul’ it was quite a wise decision.

Thank you L&A! So glad to get this cleared up with your detailed knowledge about cars — obviously not my strong suit. The Porsche went over the cliff in S2’s Charity Begins at Home. Car Wars is much later in S2, but I think Amanda just said she doesn’t drive stick when Lee was getting her an Agency loaner. That’s when she wound up with that British touring monstrosity, which drove Lee’s patience right over the edge!

I agree with you that Lee was wise to to replace his beloved Porsche with a dual purpose car: fun “babe magnet” high performance man car yet Amanda is able to drive it in a pinch. Thank you for clearing that up!

Could it bee in the tag of the episode when he got his new precious toy? When he invited Amanda for a ride in the ‘Vette?
Let me think… Was it already in ‘Charity Begins at Home’ where he also lost his Porsche?
I’m sorry, I can’t quite remember, I’m just suggesting a possibility. And right now I’ve got no time to look for the ep – perhaps later in the evening…

You know, I thought it was there too, but I took a very quick look and it wasn’t there. Maybe one day I’ll tell you about collective memory and time travellers messing with the time line. It’s the best excuse when you can’t find things that you remember happening. 😜

I’ve read other smk fans experience this over the years – and they’ve concluded that the memory was a fan fic.. and not the actual show.
I can see how we would incorporate fan fic into our experience of the show. This is one reason why I don’t read fan fic right now (other than having no time). I want to do the walk without fan fic filling in the blanks.

I for one had no idea the corvette was an auto.. or if I did – I had completely forgotten! 🙂

“I for one had no idea the corvette was an auto.. or if I did – I had completely forgotten! 🙂”

IWSOD, I’m in the same boat; not able to recall any mention that the Corvette is an automatic and just assumed it was a manual like the Porsche. Guess we all know what happens when we … assume! Then again, it might be the age old progression … from “some-timers” … to “all-timers” … LOL !!

I keep notes on my iPad for each episode and not all are complete, since I just bought Seasons 1-4 about 6 months ago with Christmas money. I track Lee & Amanda’s hair style/length, jewelry, who they’re dating, Lee’s covert visits to Amanda’s house, when she couldn’t drive stick shift, when she drove Lee’s car, change in security grade/office space/new apartment/relationship, etc — anything that helps order properly and make sense out of the timeline of episodes. In fact, episode timeline is how I discovered your website and was thrilled to see that you were way ahead on tackling this.

The way Lee asks Amanda in One Bear Dances, .. which is earlier in S3 (disc 4) than The Boy Who Could Be King (disc 5), if she’s ok driving, is what led me to believe she had recently learned to drive manual. Oh well, it seems that logic is often at odds with S&MK and maybe that is part of it’s appeal!

Gosh I did mean to go back to season 3 episode order.. I have a few notes and ideas about season 3 but haven’t put them into a fully formed order or anything close to it. No time!! I think ep order is a holiday activity for me 😦

there is this post
If you would like to share your thoughts feel free to.. it’s there for people to explore ideas and share their orders if they like. I’ll be reading with interest, and when I can get to it I’ll weigh in also 🙂

The comments so far have been very deep and insightful and I agree with them all. Its a moving scene .
However, (just to be different) I will mention the parallel with that more modern version of SMK namely Chuck which struck me when I watched this the first time (I didn’t see this episode until I got the dvds). For those that have watched it, you might recall how at the end of season 3, Chuck goes back to his old childhood home, which also appears unaltered since he left and finds a room under the cellar where his father had done ‘spy’ stuff. (For those who haven’t seen it, the roles are reversed in Chuck, he is the ‘normal’ person and the sky is female.) There are loads of parallels in the show including some appearances of BB. Anyway I hope this is not too off topic.

Forgive me for being a long time lurker poking her head in here… but I just had to comment on the Chuck parallel. Did you notice they used Amanda’s house in an episode of Chuck? The address is even still painted on the curb and visible in the episode: 4247.

Hi guys, I’m not totally new, I was hanging around a few years ago. I went by polomare, which I forgot to go by above. 🙂 There was an SMK message board that we all used to post on, but not Ned’s… there was another one. I was trying to think of it the other day. Do you guys know the one I am talking about? I can’t remember what it was called or what the www was. Is it still around?

Hey polomare! Yeah I remember you! 🙂
I think you are thinking of the old yuku forum. If you look in the right sidebar listed in the blogroll you’ll find ‘Scarecrow and Mrs King Yuku Forum”- click on this link and it will take you straight there.

Sadly I don’t get there often but I’m really glad that you stopped by here and said hi! 🙂

Ah! Yuku, yes that was it! I knew it had a funny name. 🙂 Thanks, IWSOD. I do read almost all of these walk with me posts, I just usually read them on my cell, which is an older phone (I know, I’m technologically depraved, lol) but anyway, it doesn’t handle typing in text boxes well, and I’m usually too lazy to open my laptop, hence my rare replies here. But know that I always enjoy reading them even if I can’t contribute. They are a pleasant distraction- a welcome change of pace from all of the ugliness out there in the world.

Welcome Polomare (great name). glad to see all the fellow chuck fans. Yes, I did notice the house in season 5! I would love to mention more but I am sensing that this is a topic to be discussed else where. I must check out the Neds thread

Hi Michele 🙂 Please post the Ned’s link discussing Chuck if you find it. I looked around briefly and alas, could not find it. I’m contemplating a full side by side rewatch of Chuck and SMK and would love to check out what others think.

JWWM isn’t always the best place for side conversations not related specifically to a blog post – Nedlindger’s is a great option for starting up threads of conversations you’d like to have – looks like Monmimi has found a chuck thread. However, if you’d like to start another one with Chuck in the title – go for it.

Sounds like fun polomare!
You could publish it at Nedlindger’s if you like.. Or you could even create a blog for that purpose – would be fun! And maybe when I have time I could actually watch Chuck! gah!!

Welll, this similarity was pointed out by BB to Yvonne Strahovski ( Sarah Walker) when he played Captain Awesome’s dad. In this interview he told the story of how he told her that he did a similar show to Chuck, but he played the spy and his partner was a house wife. She had NO IDEA what he was talking about. He said it made him feel old. Lol 😂

Can just anyone explain, why Lee has
a) to cut the vinyl (OK, the new owner changed the old one – I get that much)
but
b) why is this hidden room still the same as it has been 30 years ago?

If I were the new owner, I would have cleared out the room before closing it permanently.

If the new vinyl flooring was laid by any kind of agency about 30 years ago, they also should have cleared out the room before closing the room and hiding it permanently from future owners. Those things might be pieces of evidence or paper trails yielding some important information which could finally solve a case – or even more than one…

And if the new vinyl was laid by Blackthorne himself (or one of his goons) he also should have cleared out the room – just to be save…

No matter who laid the new vinyl flooring about 30 years ago – the hidden room should be empty – well except cobwebs, spiders and any sort of bugs…

There are several possibilities why Matt & Jennie’s trap door to a secret room in the basement was not discovered. First and foremost, they either dug & built it themselves or found a root cellar and redesigned it to be a hiding place with access that was well camouflaged. I will note that priest holes were quite common in older homes throughout England, as were bomb shelters during WWII, so Jennie would have been well aware of them. Matt was well aware of skillful camouflage used during the war. That no one, until Lee, disturbed their secret room, tells us they were successful!

The generally poor lighting in basements helped and what else they did to make the trap door blend in with the basement floor, we don’t see since vinyl flooring was installed sometime after their deaths. I did a bit of research on vinyl flooring and discovered it did not become popular until after WWII ended. So that increases the likelihood that the next owner had sheet vinyl installed and the workers just didn’t discover the well-concealed trap door. Future occupants were then not likely to ever discover it.

We don’t know if Matt & Jennie owned or rented that house. In any event, their sudden and tragic deaths with few relatives around, meant the clean out of their belongings was quick. The relatives or realtor selling the house wouldn’t know about the secret room and neither would the landlord if it was a rental. Not many people spend time in an unfinished basement. They’re mostly used for storage.

As to Blackthorne breaking into the house after their deaths; well, that would be tricky. He risks suspicion falling on him if caught. There’s a lot of commotion in cleaning out a house and having it on the market; plus, the neighbors would naturally be watching. Matt & Jennie did meet Blackthorne away from their home, perhaps signaling that the papers they showed him had duplicates at their office. Remember, it’s Matt and Jennie who were employed in military intelligence, not Blackthorne. Bottom line, I am not surprised that their well-camouflaged secret room remained intact for Lee to discover.

Remember, it’s Matt and Jennie who were employed in military intelligence,…

That’s exactly why the agency they worked for should have searched the Stetson’s home after their sudden and unexpected death with an extra fine comb. Those agents should have been able to find the trapdoor no matter if they knew about it or not – unless they didn’t do their job as thoroughly as they should have…

Well, luckily for us and this episode neither military intelligence nor anyone else did. Instead Lee and Amanda were able to find it and they could even collect the paperwork his parents left behind – and Matt’s pipe. 😉 –

Well, luckily for us and this episode neither military intelligence nor anyone else did.

It was meant to be!!!! 🙂

I didn’t question why the war room remained undiscovered.. I accepted that one pretty easily 😉
At this stage – I know Lee’s dad worked in military intelligence at some stage.. but whether or not he was still working for them when he was blackmailing Blackthorne I don’t know.
I know the CIA file said Lee’s mother was MI-6 – but was that Blackthorne’s report that said that? and can it be believed?
I’m not assuming that’s true..
she may have been.. or she may not have been. I’m kind of hoping I’ll get a definite answer by the end of this ep but I suspect I may not!

As for the bunker – I figured it was a private initiative of Lee’s dad’s. A private place for him to do it his work.. If he was a good guy and working on behalf of some kind of intelligence agency they may not have know about it. If he was a freelancing blackmailer he wouldn’t have told anyone about it either..
There would have been rules about where you can store top secret materials, and we don’t know if there were top secret materials in the bunker.. Hmm we learn more about this in the next post.. I’ll check out everyone’s comments there!

This scene right here tells me that we’ve been seeing Little Boy Lee this whole time and not Lee Stetson, “one of the top agents” (per Amanda in ACM Kid) or even Scarecrow. When he picks up the pipe so gently, it breaks your heart and you really see that little boy, who just wants a little part of his parents.. It’s Little Boy Lee who had to get that drug, go see Blackthorne, and refused to apologize. It’s that Lee who’s been informing his decision-making. The more he delves into this, the more he regresses into that child that needs some closure. He can’t move forward until he deals with his past.

We find out that Lee had this loving, caring home life as a child. He was happy and content. But that was all destroyed and he shut down. He shut off his emotions and eventually shut down his memories of this part of his life.

Going through this case is probably not only giving him some closure, but maybe a sense of relief that his parents are exactly who he thought them to be. And it also has to be a relief that Amanda is right here with him on this journey. She is supporting, understanding, gently guiding and accepting all of this.

Beautiful, Valerie. And maybe one of the reasons he is so attracted to
Amanda is that she reminds him of the nurturing loving family that he came from – because family and caring are so important to her too.

I enjoy reading your comments Valerie! it’s like you are sharing your exploration of the unfolding story with us all! 🙂

When he picks up the pipe so gently, it breaks your heart and you really see that little boy, who just wants a little part of his parents..

Spot on IMHO! 🙂

It’s Little Boy Lee who had to get that drug, go see Blackthorne, and refused to apologize. It’s that Lee who’s been informing his decision-making. The more he delves into this, the more he regresses into that child that needs some closure.

Interesting! Why are you compartmentalizing little Lee from big Lee Valerie? I see both parts to be part of the whole Lee myself.. all of us have a little version of ourselves that developed and grew with us.. and we all have an ‘inner child’ in a way.. so I while I find this fascinating and enjoyed hearing your thoughts – I don’t feel any need to distinguish between Little Lee and Big Lee…

He can’t move forward until he deals with his past.

What does everyone else think – is this how you see it?
I think he can move forward regardless – but he will not be as healthy, well balanced or whole as he would be if he deals with it.. But, I also think in some ways Lee has been very successful in his life to this point, Amanda thought so too in A relative situation too – that any uncle would be proud to have Lee as a nephew.. An interesting thought to ponder! I love how you make me think Valerie! 🙂

Going through this case is probably not only giving him some closure, but maybe a sense of relief that his parents are exactly who he thought them to be.

I hope so! 🙂 I figure whatever happens with his parents, because of the progress he has made in his relationship with Amanda, he I will be better off 🙂

And it also has to be a relief that Amanda is right here with him on this journey. She is supporting, understanding, gently guiding and accepting all of this.

Lovely!! Early parental relationships are so important.. but I also like to think that adults can find healing from their pasts through new relationships in adulthood 🙂 I’d like to think that even if Lee’s parents were double agents – he’d be okay and forgive and move on..

I wasn’t trying to compartmentalize, at least I didn’t think I was. I know that we’ve had discussions in the past as to where Lee was at certain points and how he has changed over time. But he has had moments where he has not been or reacted in the most mature way. I know that he was having difficulty in handling things in Wizard, especially his thoughts regarding Paul Barnes.

No worries Valerie – yes I see what you mean – we have had discussions about Lee being at different stages of development lol teenage Lee etc.. when you mentioned little Lee in the context of this episode it (for me) has a different slant..because Lee is consciously working through a traumatic experience from his childhood – which for me is different to discussing a general overall developing of a character toward maturity.

I had forgotten about the whole discussion about the Lee story arc of little boy to teenager to grown man we’ve had about his character in general.. thanks for the reminder!

uh oh! It is pretty much spread out though the whole walk Nancy. Sorry!
If my memory serves me right, I’d say it was Raffie who started this idea – that Lee starts of the show as a toddler having temper tantrums (about having a valet park his porsche 😉 ), and then progresses into teenage Lee.. and then on to adult Lee.. by the time he reaches mid to late season 3 I guess.. It was a lose idea that helped make sense of Lee’s journey in general – rather than an idea about a specific episode – thus it’s all over the place. lol..

Maybe if Raffie stops by she can give a her own overview of the idea..

It would be awesome if someone put together a post on this! Anyone interested? Sadly iwsod just got no time 😦 but if the mood and the motivation strikes some one – seize this and go for it! I’ll publish it 🙂

The similarities between Lee’s early childhood home and Amanda’s home are what I notice first. Both are on established residential streets with a white picket fence, plenty of flowers and a mature tree for young boys to hang out.

Also, the voices of Lee’s parents echoing in his ear depict a warm, loving home like an echo of Amanda’s, with the … give me a hug … hurry you’ll be late for school … made some chocolate chip cookies … give me a kiss. I think of the many hours Lee has been seen near Amanda’s kitchen window, listening to her interact with Phillip & Jamie in much the same way. Are those long lost; yet vaguely familiar and comforting echoes of his early childhood, what keep drawing him to her home?

It adds rich layers to the sense we get of Lee finding the home he’s longed for in Amanda.

I think Lee would have been impacted by those memories but not consciously.. ‘vaguely familiar’ is a good way of putting it Nancy!

I think this ties in well with that push – pull I saw Lee experiencing toward Amanda, her family, her home and the suburbs – there are happy very early memories there of a happy family for Lee – but there are also very painful memories tied to that – so he both longed for it and ran a mile from it IMHO of course..
Whether this was the intention of the writers, or BB and his portrayal – it’s what I see.. and that’s enough for me 🙂

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Please be respectful of all opinions :)

***JWWM does not refer to future events in the show - it stays with the characters on their journey - explores where they are, and what has come before..
therefore- No spoilers beyond where the walk is up to please :) Thanks***

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